(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to games and, more particularly, to a billiards or pool game having cards for use in directing the game play in billiards.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Prior art billiards-related inventions commonly employ training aid devices to improve a player""s ability in the game of billiards, including pocket billiards or pool. Typically, as in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,520,581 and 4,082,270 these training aids address the difficulties of banking shots, or directing the ball into the cushion edge at a point wherein the angle between the ball before being hit or shot and the cushion is approximately equivalent to the angle between that point on the cushion and the target or desired destination, usually a pocket, of the ball after being hit. Also, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,688,796, an aiming system for billiards is taught for use in playing the game of billiards, which includes a cue stick and system that provides an exact spot for aiming a shot. However, none of these training aids provide any instruction or rules for playing a game of billiards, apart from improving components of a game, namely how to make bank shots or improve shooting skills.
Additional prior art billiards game-based inventions such as taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,011,147 issued Apr. 30, 1997 to Thomas, et al., provide instructions for playing a particular billiards game having distinct rules; however, as with Thomas, et al., such games often require special equipment, including but not limited to a specialized pool table, including a special table shape and/or additional components like banks or bumpers or specialized pocket placement or construction.
Thus, there remains a need for a billiards game that employs a traditional billiards or pool table and that does not require any specialized billiards equipment.
Finally, a prior art billiards game described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,276,689 includes a combined pool and poker gambling game, more particularly a method for playing a gambling game that involves at least two players. While this prior art reference does not require any specialized billiards equipment, it does require knowledge of more than one game, in particular, more than one game of skill, namely poker and billiards.
Thus, there mains a need for a billiards game that employs a traditional billiards or pool table and that does not require any specialized billiards equipment, and which does not require knowledge or skill in more than one game.
The present invention is directed to a billiards or pool game having cards for use in directing the game play in billiards.
By way of summary, in the preferred embodiment, at least one set of cards is employed to direct the game play of billiards, wherein the card set(s) include picture-based descriptions for a given shot to be attempted and made by the game player(s). If the shot is not made by the player who drew that card, then the remaining configuration of billiards balls on the table is to be shot by the next player, and so on, until the ball(s) are sunk into pocket(s). Each shot has an associated difficulty level and respective point(s) that are awarded to the player who either completes the shot as depicted or described on the card or the player who first sinks the ball(s) involved.
Preferably, the at least one set of cards includes shots of different difficulty levels, including combination, angle, bank shots, etc. Also, the shots are preferably configured with respect to the diamonds located on the perimeter of the cushion of the table.
The present invention is further directed to a method for playing a billiards game using cards to direct the game play of billiards.
Thus, the present invention provides a billiards game that employs a traditional billiards or pool table and that does not require any specialized billiards equipment, and which does not require knowledge or skill in more than one game.
Accordingly, one aspect of the present invention is to provide a billiards game having at least one set of cards for directing game play, wherein the cards include picture-based depictions and/or descriptions for a given shot to be attempted by the game player(s). Scoring related to each shot is included on the respective card.
Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a method for playing a billiards game having at least one set of cards for directing game play, wherein the cards include picture-based depictions and/or descriptions for a given shot to be attempted by the game player(s) until the ball(s) are sunk into pocket(s) on the table.